1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to flame and heat shields. More particularly, the present invention relates to a flame and heat shield, which protects a housing and/or equipment employed on a rack-mounted electronics assembly.
2. Description of the Background Art
A rack-mounted electronics assembly is often employed in a central office equipment room or wiring closet. In the wiring closet, interconnections for telephone and network services are established. In other words, perhaps hundreds or thousands of twisted pairs, coaxial cables, fiber optic lines, etc. are selectively interconnected via various equipment.
FIG. 1 illustrates a front view of a rack system 10 in a typical wiring closet and FIG. 2 illustrates a rear view the rack system 10 in the wiring closet. As illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2, a plurality of digital cross connect (DSX) panels 5 are attached to a first rail 7 and a second rail 8 constituting the rails of the rack system 10. Further, a power supply 4 is attached to the first and second rails 7, 8, below a lowermost DSX panel 5xe2x80x2. Building wiring 12, which is connected to various equipment throughout the building, e.g. jacks, computers, printers, facsimile machines, telephones, etc., enters and exits the rack system 10 from overhead. The building wiring 12 enters and exits the backs of respective DSX panels 5 and is connected therein to terminals, e.g. wire wrap terminals, insulation displacement connectors (IDC""s). The fronts of the D$X panels 5 include a plurality of jacks and/or jumpers, so that a technician can make organized interconnections between the building wiring 12.
FIG. 3 is a close-up view illustrating a rear perspective of the lowermost DSX panel 5xe2x80x2 attached to the first and second rails 7, 8. The building wiring 12 has been removed to simplify the illustration. However, it should be noted that the building wiring 12 would enter and exit the lowermost DSX panel 5xe2x80x2 via portals 13. The lowermost DSX panel 5xe2x80x2 includes a first side wall 14, an opposite second side wall 15, a bottom surface 16 and a rear surface 17. The rear surface 17 includes the portals 13. Further, the DSX panel 5xe2x80x2 is attached to the rack system 10 by bolts or nuts 2 or similar fasteners, which pass through placement holes 3 formed in the first and second rails 7, 8 and through mounting holes 18 formed in side tabs 19 of the DSX panel 5xe2x80x2 (See FIG. 5).
Occasionally, a!fire will occur in one of the components mounted on the rack system 10. Fires are usually not started by a component part of the DSX panel 5, since the wiring and interconnections therein are mostly passive. Most often, the fire is associated with a defective or failed component of the power supply 4, such as a transistor, capacitor, or transformer. In accordance with the background art, a fire in the power supply 4 has occasion to destroy not only the component parts of the power supply, but also to destroy or damage one or more DSX panels 5. The lowermost DSX panel 5xe2x80x2 is most susceptible due to its immediate proximity to the power supply 4 and the fact that heat and flame will rise, and the fact that the DSX panels are typically manufactured of plastic.
It is an object of the present invention to address one or more of the drawbacks associated with the background art.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a structure to limit the damage to the components mounted on a rack system.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a structure to shield one or more of the components of the rack system from heat and/or fire.
It is object of the present invention to provide a structure to guide wires and cables and hence simply the layout of wires and cabling, to improve the appearance of the wires and cables entering and exiting the components of the rack system, and to protect the wires and cables from heat and/or fire.
These and other objects are accomplished by a flame shield which redirects heat and flame away from an undersurface of a housing of electrical equipment, such as a DSX panel installed in a rack system in a wiring closet. The flame shield has a conforming shape to a lower surface of the DSX panel. The flame shield includes tabs with mounting holes, which permit the same fasteners used to initially attach the DSX panel to the rails of the rail system to be reused in attaching the flame shield and DSX panel combination to the rails of the rack system. Also, the flame shield includes an extended portion having a v-shaped cross section, which serves to shield wiring entering the DSX panel from heat and flame and also acts as a wiring guide.
Other objects and further scope of applicability of the present invention will become apparent from the detailed description given hereinafter. However, it should be understood that the detailed description and specific examples, while indicating preferred embodiments of the invention, are given by way of illustration only, since various changes and modifications within the spirit and scope of the invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from this detailed description.